Maurice Lacroix Pontos Decentrique Phases de Lune

Okay, that’s the last one for today. Also featuring a moonphase complication the new Maurice Lacroix Pontos Decentrique Phases de Lune (ref. PT6218-TT031-330) speaks in a completely different design language with a strong German accent.

Just like the other models in the Decentrique collection, the watch features an off-centered main dial moved in the north-west direction.

What is really interesting about this watch is the time display interface.

As you can see, the Maurice Lacroix Pontos Decentrique Phases de Lune has only one hand that displays minutes. Hours, date and moonphase indicators are displayed with three nicely decorated disks.

This technical marvel has its price, though.

The patent-pending ML122 in-house caliber (well, I must notice here that Maurice Lacroix is rather vague in its press release and it is not completely clear whether the ML 122 was designed from scratch and fully assembled on their own production facilities or is it simply a mass-produced base caliber bought from a third party and equipped with their own complication module*) takes so much space that it had to be packed inside a tremendously large (for a dress watch) 45 mm case.

However, the latter is made of brushed titanium and is almost as light as a swan’s feather, so the watch will feel quite comfortable on your wrist as long as you will get used to its impressive dimensions.

Together with a black, sand-blasted three-dimensional dial, this model looks absolutely stunning.

The only thing that spoils the impression is, perhaps, the back.

First, the mechanism that is hidden inside its stainless steel case is just obviously too small for the massive watch with the difference in sizes even stronger exaggerated by the huge rear bezel.

Second, is that the movement itself is doesn’t live up to the promise of the dial: compared to the elaborated finish of the timekeeper’s gorgeous face, the mechanism is, well, a little bit too understated to my taste with all decor limited to the partly openworked and re-branded oscillating weight. Frankly, the way the cal. ML 122 is finished looks really disappointing.

* UPDATE ON CALIBER: It looks like the “patent-pending” part of the mechanism is just the -otherwise absolutely spectacular- add-on module, while the tractor movement is the Sellita SW200 ebauche: a mass-produced mechanism that is supposed to compete with ETA 2824 movement. Well, the cal. ML122 still has a great potential since the SW200 enjoys a reputation of a well-built and reliable caliber and it’s sort of difficult to make a bad add-on module if you know what you are doing (and Maurice Lacroix seems to have enough cash to get it properly designed.)

** UPDATE ON PRICING: Okay, we now know the official pricing. According to the Swiss watchmaking brand, the MSRP of the Maurice Lacroix Pontos Decentrique Phases de Lune is set at $8100, which makes it quite expensive, but still reasonably priced considering its titanium case and the unique date presentation.